As you may have noticed… it is cold out! Extremely cold temperatures make staying warm and safe a challenge. Exposure to cold temperatures, whether indoors or outside, can cause other serious or life-threatening health problems. Anyone can be affected, however infants and the elderly are particularly at risk. Here is some information to help you stay healthy and safe during this extreme cold.

The World Health Organization suggests keeping indoor temperatures between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for healthy people. Ideally the temperature should be kept above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to protect the very young, the elderly, or people with health problems.

Watch for signs of hypothermia – shivering, confusion, memory loss, drowsiness, exhaustion and slurred speech. Infants who are suffering from hypothermia may appear to have very low energy and bright red, cold skin. Frostbite symptoms include numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, or waxy feeling skin. Call 911 immediately if you suspect you or someone you know is suffering from either condition.

When outside, especially in high wind conditions, take extra precautions to reduce the risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Be sure your outer layer of clothing is tightly woven to reduce body-heat loss caused by wind, and cover exposed skin.

Listen to your body! Do not ignore shivering – it is an important sign that your body is losing heat and a signal to quickly return indoors.

Cold weather puts an extra burden on the heart. If you have cardiac problems or high blood pressure, follow your doctor’s orders about shoveling or performing any strenuous exercise outside.

Healthy adults should remember that their bodies already are working overtime just to stay warm. Dress appropriately and work slowly when doing heavy outdoor chores.

Bring your pets indoors. Yes, they have fur but extreme temperatures effect them too. Also, salt from roads and walkways can damage their paws and may lead to inadvertent toxic ingestion.

Be a good neighbor – check on your neighbors, especially if they are elderly.

Do your best to clear walkways of snow and ice to avoid injury from falls. Use extreme caution in clearing your roof; consider using a specialist who has the right tools. Falling icicles and heavy snow can cause life threatening injuries.

If you need to use extra sources of heat to stay warm…

Take precautions to avoid exposure to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a potentially deadly gas. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating. It is produced by burning fuels such as wood, oil, natural gas, kerosene, coal and gasoline.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu but do not include a fever. At lower levels of exposure, a person may experience a headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Exposure to very high levels of carbon monoxide can result in loss of consciousness and even death.

Make sure you have smoke and CO alarms in your home. Test them once a month and replace the batteries twice a year. Wood stoves, space heaters, electric heaters, kerosene heaters and pellet stoves can be dangerous unless proper safety precautions are followed. DO NOT start your car to warm up in a garage.

Try to avoid using extension cords to plug in space heaters. If you have to, make sure they do not become a trip and fall hazard and do not run extension cords under rugs. Make sure supplemental heaters are in a safe place to avoid being knocked over unintentionally.

To avoid frozen pipes, keep the heat on and set no lower than 55 degrees. You can also let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing, open cabinet doors to allow more heat to get to non-insulated pipes under a sink or appliance near an outer wall.

In order to prepare for extreme cold temperatures…

In your home, keep several days’ supply of food that needs no cooking or refrigeration (remember baby food and formula if you have young children), water stored in clean containers (5 gallons per person), and medicines that any family member may need.

In your car, keep the gas tank near full to help avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines. Make sure your vehicle is up to date on maintenance and serviced including the radiator system serviced, replace windshield-wiper fluid with a wintertime mixture, replace any worn tires, and check the air pressure in the tires.

For more info on how to prepare for extreme cold conditions, please check the CDC guide here.

It is here again, and this year Flu season is making a big impact. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has classified this season as severe based on early data and there aren’t any signs of it slowing down. Influenza, “the flu”, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by a virus that can result in mild to significant illness and may even lead to death. Here are some facts and suggestions to keep you Flu-free and healthy!

Flu symptoms include:

A 100oF or higher fever or feeling feverish – however not everyone with the flu has a fever

A cough and/or sore throat

A runny or stuffy nose

Headaches and/or body aches

Chills

Fatigue

Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea – this is most common in children and may lead to severe dehydration quickly

Seek medical attention or call 911 immediately if you or someone you are caring for experience any of the following:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

Purple or blue discoloration of the lips

Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

Sudden dizziness

Confusion

Difficult to arouse – it is normal to be tired and sleep is a great thing to help you feel better, but if you cannot wake someone up call 911

Severe or persistent vomiting and/or diarrhea

Seizures

If you or someone had Flu-like symptoms that improved but then returned with fever and worse cough

Think you or someone in the house has the flu…

Getting plenty of rest – kick your feet up (you deserve it) and limit your exposure with others in the house

Placing a cool, damp washcloth on your forehead, arms, and legs to reduce discomfort associated with a fever

Putting a humidifier in your room to make breathing easier

Gargling salt water (1:1 ratio warm water to salt) to soothe a sore throat

Covering up with a warm blanket to calm chills, turn up the heat if you can (sweat it out…remember to rehydrate)

Over the counter medications are great to reduce the symptoms of the flu, however please read the label if you are purchasing multiple medications. Many of them contain the same or similar ingredients and taking too much can cause serious health problems. Ask your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions about what to take.

There are prescription antiviral medications available from your doctor if you have the flu. They work best if taken early, but no medication is without side effects, so please be sure to ask your doctor what those side effects are.

Don’t have the flu and want to keep it that way…

Get vaccinated. If you are not sure where, click here and type in your zip code.

Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Try to avoid, or at least limit close contact with sick people.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food. Good health habits protect you from more than the flu.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

Washing your hands with soap and water and alcohol-based hand sanitizers may dry your skin out, so keep your hands pretty with a moisturizer. Intact and healthy skin is the primary barrier from all kinds viruses and bacteria that will make you sick from entering your body.

Invest in a disinfectant to clean common areas and items frequently handled such as bathrooms, children’s toys, cellphones, keys, steering wheels, etc. Make sure you read the directions for proper and safe usage.

Colonie EMS is proud to host various courses throughout the year, and in just a couple of weeks we will be sponsoring an EMT Challenge Refresher. If you are an EMT who has a certification that is about to expire, or if it already has and you would like to brush up on your skills and knowledge, this is the course for you!

Classes begin on Tuesday February 3 with classes until final written exam on May 21. Candidates must also take or show proof of completion NIMS ICS 100, NIMS IS 700 and IS-5 in order to complete the course. For more detailed information on the course please click Spring 2015 refresher course flyer to download the flyer and projected schedule.

This course is open to anyone who has previously been a NYS EMT, but is on a first-come first serve basis, so sign up now!!!

A happy ending for a close call before the Holidays. It is anyone in emergency services worst nightmare; hearing an ambulance dispatched to your own address for the most serious of calls, a cardiac arrest. Bob Davis is a member of our own family, and that was his experience while participating in a charity football game between local fire departments. A few weeks before Christmas, Bob’s wife, Linda, was home with their children when she went into cardiac arrest. Due to the quick action of their children who called 911 immediately, and CPR performed by a neighbor and fellow Fuller Road Fire Department member, Linda’s life was saved and she was home for Christmas.

We go out of our way to ensure that the best possible care is delivered as fast as possible to your family, and in this case our family. It is a system wide response that involves many departments and a great deal of training and most importantly, teamwork. In cases like this, resources involved include fire department first response units, the closest police officer with an AED, at least 2 ALS staffed units and an EMS Shift Commander. None of these units would get there without the work of dispatchers. Dispatchers like Bob, keep callers calm and get vital information to the responding units and most importantly give pre-arrival instructions such as CPR to people on scene. All of which contribute to the high success rates of prehospital sudden cardiac death reversals here in Colonie.

On a daily basis, agencies here in Colonie work together to save lives. Most recently, police officers are all trained to administer and carry Narcan, which reverses the deadly effects of opioid overdoses such as heroin. Around the same time as Linda’s cardiac arrest reversal, officer Greg Jensen was first on scene to a respiratory arrest and administered Narcan moments before EMS crews got there. In doing so, the patient began breathing again and survived. Police officers such as Greg are vital in the care provided here in Colonie. We are truly unique in the working relationship with have with our police and fire departments, and value it greatly.

We here at Colonie EMS encourage people to be prepared and we want to help in anyway possible. We have added several resources to help you be as ready as possible in the event of an emergency.

Colonie Police Department has joined a new communication system called Nixle. Nixle is free to join and updates important, valuable community information directly to residents or anyone who works or frequents the town. Information and messages regarding advisories, real time emergency information, as well as other relevant safety and community event information are shared instantly via cell phone text message and/or email. Residents of the Village of Menands also have an emergency alert system called First Call.

The Albany County Sheriffs Office also organizes an Evacuation Functional Needs 911 Registry for residents who may require special considerations during an emergency. This is helps first responders plan ahead for resources that may be needed in the event of an emergency. It is completely voluntary and confidential. Simply click on the form link, fill out, and submit.

One of the greatest things about living in the Town of Colonie are the resources provided to its residents. The Senior Resources Center provides a wealth of support for our senior residents and we work very closely with them. Whether you are looking for yourself or a loved one, there is a great deal available through the center.

Please check our Community Training page for a list of links and resources that may be beneficial to you or someone you know.

Colonie EMS personnel came together this holiday season to give Santa a hand and provide a very Merry Christmas for a local family with eight children. Although the list was lengthy, friends and members of the department came together to make sure that every single item asked for was received. The outpouring of generosity for this event is a true testament to the character and spirit of our members, and we could not be prouder of everyone! The family was deeply moved and greatly appreciated our efforts. This will surely be a new tradition here at Colonie EMS.

Early in the morning of December 18, a possible structure fire was reported in the Schuyler Heights Fire District in the Town of Colonie. Dave Plouff, a long time Paramedic for the Town of Colonie’s EMS Department was just preparing to end his shift across town in zone 2. After hearing the initial call in the area of his home he had a sinking feeling in his heart – one that only got worse as he received word that it was his house that was on fire.

Dave is a familiar face to most. Many people were taught how to be EMTs by Dave or have worked alongside him in an ambulance, and his name is well known at Albany Medical Center where he also works.

Over 600 donations were received in less than 5 days.

More than any of that, though, Dave is probably one of the most kind-hearted and caring people. He would go out of his way to help anyone that he knows.

He lost everything in this fire except the uniform him had on and the possessions he had in his personal vehicle. No amount of money can replace everything – but we can make sure he has what he needs to get through this troubling time as he works through the process of loss and recovery.

“On behalf of the Colonie EMS Benevolent Association, I have to, once again, express my gratitude and excitement at what we have been able to do as a community of EMS for one of our members.” Said Daniel Murdock, Treasurer of the Colonie EMS Benevolent Association. “The strength of a community is never stronger than when someone in that community is in need. Make sure to share Dave’s story and get the word out that our colleague needs us now more than ever.”

After years of helping others, EMS worker’s home destroyed by fire

COLONIE – A home is considered a total loss following an early morning fire in Colonie. And while losing your home to a fire is devastating, the man who owned this house has a unique perspective.

“It’s the pits,” said David Plouffe, who owns the home that went up in flames. “It’s the ultimate.”

A house fire is devastating for any homeowner. It was no different when flames shot from a home on Grenada Terrace in Colonie early Thursday morning.

“The placement of the house is kind of difficult,” said Chief Aaron Fandle of the Schuyler Heights Fire District. “It’s tough. It sits back off the road to get any apparatus to. Like I said, we also ran into some water issues.”

Firefighters had issues attaching adaptors to the hydrants on the street. In all, seven companies and around 50 firefighters responded to the fire. Firefighters say there were power lines down when they arrived, and that the fire may have started on the side of the home. The official cause is under investigation.

Firefighters say there were no injuries in the fire because the homeowner, who works for Colonie EMS, was already at work. “I was still working, I was working at the Central Avenue station,” said Plouff.

Plouff said he heard the initial call, and immediately had a bad feeling. “I jumped in my vehicle, I had a gut feeling, a horrible feeling, that something might be wrong,” he said.

He was on his way home when he got the terrible news. “My fire chief, because I’m a member of the volunteer fire company here also, called me and said, “Your house is on fire.””

Plouff has lived in the home for 20 years. Inside, he was gathering items for an EMS museum in Massachusetts. “So it’s not just my own personal items, there’s other items that were going to have some kind of lasting significance about the history of Emergency Medical Services,” said Plouff.

For years, Plouff has helped people who have been the victims of house fires. He says the perspective from the other side is horrible. “What’s interesting for me, and I guess a learning lesson, there’s no guide,” said Plouff. “There’s really no physical, where do you start? And that’s what I’m trying to pull this together today.”

If you are interested in helping Plouff get back on his feet, you can find ways to contribute here.

Each year Colonie EMS crews conduct semi-annual training updates on technical rescue and medical training. This fall Assistant Chief Jack Bevilacqua, the designated training chief, coordinated an update for the department which acts as the primary confined space team for the Town of Colonie.

What is Confined Space Rescue?

Confined space rescue is a subset of technical rescue which typically involves extraction of a patient from narrow or constricted areas such as storage tanks, water treatment plants, sewer and mechanical areas.

These environments are typically oxygen depleted or contain dangerous gasses that may have incapacitated the patient to begin with. This requires crews to utilize Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) or supplied air lines. It also requires full body harnesses and rope rescue systems setup for a vertical extraction.

In August the EMS Department will celebrate its 25th anniversary. The department starting providing EMS services to the Town at 6am on August 28, 1989. This is the story of where we were and what we have become in 25 years.

In 1986 the Town commissioned a study by Fitch & Associates to determine the best course of action to keep EMS in the Town of Colonie on the cutting edge. The Town had a very strong volunteer history in EMS, and in 1975 was among the first in the state to provide Advanced Life Support Paramedic level care.

A Task Force was formed to study the Fitch report and make its recommendation to the Town Board. In late 1988 the Task Force recommended the consolidation of the existing six independent volunteer squads into a Town EMS Department. The Town hired a Director and 12 career staff members to support daytime operations. The night and weekends were covered by volunteers responding to 4,500 calls a year. We have grown to almost 100 career staff members, now managing approximately 10,000 requests for service each year.

The EMS Department is much more than just an ambulance service. We bring high quality patient care to the patient’s side no matter where they may be trapped, in a confined space, contaminated with hazardous materials, auto accident, rope rescue, or in the water. In 1993 the Town was approached by the State Police to team up and provide helicopter EMS services to the Region. This unique partnership has broadened our experience and improved our abilities to serve our community.

In 2013 we were approached by the Police Department to integrate paramedics in the SWAT Team to bring treatment to the victims of active shooters.The Town of Colonie has always been ranked one of the best and safest places to live. This rating is primarily derived from crime statistics, but I think everyone knows we have some of the best emergency services in the area, if not the state.

Over the last 25 years some of the names and faces have changed but the mission is still the same, to provide the best patient care possible to the residents and visitors of the Town. It’s always been our motto to “Get there fast! Do a good job! Look good, and smile!” Keep up the good work!

Congratulations and Happy 25th Anniversary! I am proud to be your Chief and it’s been an honor serving with you!

After many years of planning, two collaborative municipal agreements have come to fruition with an aim to reduce costs.

Our first effort was completed which consolidated the Boght Fire Department & EMS station under one building. This consolidated station will reduce overall costs and allow one building for EMS & Fire north of Latham in Boght. This station now houses ambulances, our 670 Special Operations vehicle and spare backup ambulances.

The second project is well underway and nearing completion in the Village of Colonie, where we will have two ambulances stationed in the new Colonie Village fire house on Central Avenue.